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This story is from the category Augmenting Organics
Date posted: 29/09/2008 Gel-filled fingertips could give prosthetic hands greater sensitivity, even allowing them to react "instinctively" to objects slipping from their grasp. Human hands automatically estimate the minimum force needed to hold on to an object, using a built-in reflex that responds to tiny vibrations in the skin as an object starts to slip through our fingers. Existing artificial hands do not have this reflex mechanism, so their operators have to consciously estimate the required force. "It's very mentally taxing," says Jeremy Fishel, one of a team that built the new fingertip at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles. The tip consists of a rubber skin, filled with thick silicon gel. When an object begins to slip, the vibrations in the finger's elastic skin transmit through the silicon gel to acoustic sensors attached to a central acrylic "bone". This provides instant feedback, telling the motors in the hand to tighten their grip until the vibrations stop. See the full Story via external site: technology.newscientist.com Most recent stories in this category (Augmenting Organics): 03/03/2017: Adjustable Smart Desks join the Internet of Things |
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